Lucky to be here today. Lucky beyond belief.

[Hortontoter]

I don't know how I missed this thread in January. But, I'm glad that you got out of that situation alive.

Adding the 25 of cord to the detector coil will have very little effect on the coils performance. I did underwater metal detecting for nearly 20 years.

 

[Jackalope]

Make a glass bottomed box to try and see the bottom that way. Hell it works on TV.

Funny you mention that. Realizing that I could see the aluminum triangle on the bottom of the lake I thought about creating a rectangular box with a glass bottom. Sort of like a as backwards periscope.

 

[Jackalope]

I don't know how I missed this thread in January. But, I'm glad that you got out of that situation alive.

Adding the 25 of cord to the detector coil will have very little effect on the coils performance. I did underwater metal detecting for nearly 20 years.

Cool stuff, then I have a question for you. With a 25 foot cable and 20 foot of depth the towing angle will be very steep. I have come up with two methods to keep the sled from planing. Obviously the sled itself will be waited to sink it and the data cable will be zip strip to a tow line that takes the load. The first method would be to attach a weight a few feet in front of the sled to drag the bottom. The second would be to use something similar to a downrigger. Perhaps a 15 pound weight at 15 foot of depth. The drag weight method would be the simplest. But there's a chance of vegetation along with the added drag of the weight. The trolling motor only has 24 lbs of thrust and dragging 20+ pounds will slow down the search speed. The down rigger seems like the best method. Any ideas?

For the down rigger weight I'm thinking a foot long length of 4 inch PVC pipe filled with concrete. Then placing a vertical fin down the length of it to keep it from spinning while hanging vertical.

 

["J"]

A buddy has a 3' Ibeam with 12" chains welded too it with S hooks attached too the chains.... Chain attached too the Ibeam and then rope too the chain for pulling it along the bottom..... Doesn't seem too have an issue keeping it there and has pulled up trolling motors and fishing pulls with it over the years.... Simple design but efficient.....

 

[badger]

Damn brother, glad you made it out of there. I know you weren't liking that situation. Cold water is no joke. Since I was old enough to wander on my own, I've been in creeks, rivers, swamps etc. I've had some encounters but never anything like this. I cringe when I see guys scooting across cold lakes with chest waders all buckled tight. Just a recipe for disaster. Here's one tip I have for you ice anglers, DON'T tie your laces on your boots. As Joe can attest, your clothes alone are heavy enough. Boots all laced tight are nothing but anchors.

Good luck with the gun recovery!

 

[Hortontoter]

The trick will be get the sled to the bottom without it tipping over. Once it is in the bottom if you have enough weight it should be OK. Unless the bottom is very rocky which would pose to be very problematic. I'm not sure what kind of coil you are going to use, but if it is not made for underwater use it will be very buoyant and will need to be weighted also. Another thing make sure if you have a connection that will be submerged on the wire leading to the coil that this connection is water tight. The least little bit of water at this connection will cause the coil to give false readings.

 

[Buckmaster]

Better expedite the situation Joe. I was walking around my pond yesterday and see some algae around the edge lip already. I normally don't have algae issues either. Early bloom...I don't know but my ice has been off for about 10 days now.

 

[Buckslayer]

I missed this thread. Glad to read this now knowing you are ok. I would just hire a scuba diver to go down and get it for ya

 

[Jackalope]

I missed this thread. Glad to read this now knowing you are ok. I would just hire a scuba diver to go down and get it for ya

Thought about that but the problem Is finding a local diver with gear capable of conducting underwater searches in near freezing water. Water temps that are near freezing require special insulated dry dive suits, respirators, and tanks, and even then they can only stay down for 15 minutes or so.

 

[Jackalope]

The trick will be get the sled to the bottom without it tipping over. Once it is in the bottom if you have enough weight it should be OK. Unless the bottom is very rocky which would pose to be very problematic. I'm not sure what kind of coil you are going to use, but if it is not made for underwater use it will be very buoyant and will need to be weighted also. Another thing make sure if you have a connection that will be submerged on the wire leading to the coil that this connection is water tight. The least little bit of water at this connection will cause the coil to give false readings.

I have silicone caulk and electrical tape for the connection. The coil is waterproof and designed for underwater use. However I'm still going to silicone the edge joint and wire hole on the coil. The bottom has gravel but no rocks of any real size. Just spotty weeds in a few locations.

 

[Schu72]

I too somehow missed this. Glad you are ok. That was quite of a situation you found yourself in. I saw a few posts about your gun being at the bottom of a lake, but had no idea what you had gone through.

 

[Beentown]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Poor_Boys_Flogger_Underwater_Viewer/descpage-PBFLOGGER.html

Hillbilly one up for your use. Use a traffic cone and plexiglass

 

[swantucky]

Just saw this, too much to keep up with on this forum!!

You are way lucky Joe! I have spent some time in cold water and it is scary. I hope my worst mistakes are behind me, I know for a fact that if I ended up in some of the same situations now I found myself in when I was younger no way I would survive. Guess that's why God puts you in those positions when you are young and strong enough to battle out of them and you hopefully learn not to be there again when you are old.

I recommend anyone who spends any amount of time around cold water get the IDI ice armor suit. I got it for icefishing but have been amazed at how many other times I grab it for other activities. I want to get a couple more so anytime I take anyone with we they are protected also.

https://www.idigear.com/arctic-armor-cold-weather-gear

 

[CJD3]

I have forgotten. Did you ever go back for the gun Joe?

 

[Jackalope]

Just saw this, too much to keep up with on this forum!!

You are way lucky Joe! I have spent some time in cold water and it is scary. I hope my worst mistakes are behind me, I know for a fact that if I ended up in some of the same situations now I found myself in when I was younger no way I would survive. Guess that's why God puts you in those positions when you are young and strong enough to battle out of them and you hopefully learn not to be there again when you are old.

I recommend anyone who spends any amount of time around cold water get the IDI ice armor suit. I got it for icefishing but have been amazed at how many other times I grab it for other activities. I want to get a couple more so anytime I take anyone with we they are protected also.

https://www.idigear.com/arctic-armor-cold-weather-gear

I agree buddy. Not a situation I ever want to be in again. Really makes you look at things in a whole new light. I'll have to look in to one of this suits.

 

[Jackalope]

I have forgotten. Did you ever go back for the gun Joe?

No the lake bottom was covered in about 6 feet of hydrilla grass. I remember to within about 1/4 acre area of where I went in. Somehow I had the whits about me to look at a tree on the far bank and one to the diagonal bank and mentally mark it. I tried dragging big magnets and even made a sled to pull on the bottom with an old metal detector coil and cable to the electronics at the surface. Between the hydrilla and the cold it interfered with it too much. By the time it was warm enough to dive for it the grass was 12 feet thick.

Jessica bought me the exact gun last Christmas so I'm good to go there.

 

[MoonLab]

Glad you're alright, man.

 

[RedCloud]

@Bowhunter57